Document removal and reinsertion detector

ABSTRACT

A detector for providing a visual indication when a document, such as a currency instrument or bill, is removed from a slotted receptacle and thereafter reinserted in an effort to avoid discovery that the currency was temporarily withdrawn from the receptacle. Also included is a microswitch, not visible exteriorly of the currency withdrawal and reinsertion detector, for triggering a remote alarm upon removal of currency from the receptacle.

- United States Patent 1191 McBrian DOCUMENT REMOVAL AND REINSERTIONDETECTOR [75] Inventor: John E. McBrian, Bethe], Conn.

[73] Assignee: The Mosler Safe Company,

Hamilton, Ohio [22] Filed: Jan. 6, 1975 [21] Appl. No.: 539,043

[52] US. Cl. 340/280; 200/DIG. 38; 200/6159;

ZOO/DIG. 38, 61.59, 61.62, 61.76; 109/38; 116/76 3,300,770 l 1967Brousseau et al 340/280 3,391,623 7/1968 Tabankin 340/280 UX 3,432,8423/ 1969 Poznanski... 340/280 3,467,771 9/1969 Polack 340/280 X 3,569,6443/1971 Brugger 340/280 X 3,618,060 1l/197l Nina 340/280 X PrimaryExaminer.lohn W. Caldwell Assistant Examiner--Wil1iam M. WanniskyAttorney, Agent, or FirmWood, Herron & Evans ABSTRACT A detector forproviding a visual indication when a document, such as a currencyinstrument or bill, is removed from a slotted receptacle and thereafterreinserted in an effort to avoid discovery that the currency [56]References Cited was temporarily withdrawn from the receptacle. AlsoUNITED STATES PATENTS included is a microswitch, not visible exteriorlyof the 1,666,605 4/1928 Mcbellan 109/38 currency withdrawal ndreinsertion detector, for trig- 1,685,329 9/1928 Lynch 340/280 gering aremote alann upon removal of currency from 2,416,963 3/ 1947 Stelter109/38 the receptacle. 3,036,298 5/1962 Schiller 340/280 3,253,2715/1966 Trupiano et a1. 340/280 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures -52? /4 .56ed @3 L /i i\ Jam 40 i A\ I l l o o P "'44 O 11 I 24 3&2] 1 M i A Q/ 1/fl -59 cf DOCUMENT REMOVAL AND REINSERTION DETECTOR This inventionrelates to document removal detection, and more particularly to anapparatus and method for detecting and indicating unauthorizedresinsertion of a document temporarily removed from its normal positionin a slotted receptacle.

It has been common practice in the banking field to equip cash boxes inwhich tellers store stacks of currency of different denominations, withalarm devices which, in the event of a holdup, sense removal of thecurrency and in response thereto trigger a remote alarm such as aflashing light, siren or the like. These currency withdrawal sensors ofthese alarm devices, often termed money clips, operate on a variety ofprinciples including photoelectric, mechanical, electrical and the like.Illustrative of such currency withdrawal alarm devices are thosedescribed in US. Pat. No. 3,618,060.

The currency withdrawal sensor used in money clips to trigger remotealarms, whether of the photoelectric, mechanical, or other type,typically has two states, namely, an actuated state and an unactuatedstate. In the actuated state, which occurs when the currency is removedfrom the cash box, a remote alarm is triggered. In the unactuated state,to which the currency withdrawal sensor automatically reverts uponreplacement of the currency in the cash box, the alarm which has alreadybeen triggered upon removal of the currency, may or may not terminatedepending upon whether or not the remote alarm has a self-latchingfeature. If the remote alarm is self-latching, the triggered alarm mustbe manually reset by personnel monitoring.

it, whereas if the remote alarm is not of the self-latching type thealarm stops when the currency withdrawal sensor reverts to deactuatedcondition, which it does automatically upon return of the currency tothe cash box.

A problem has arisen in connection with the automatic reset, i.e.,automatic reversion to its deactuated state, aspect of the sensor whichdetects removal of the currency and in response thereto trigger a remotealarm. Specifically, a careless teller who inadvertently removes thecurrency from the cash drawer, actuating the withdrawal sensor andsetting off the remote alarm, can avoid detection by promptly returningthe stack of currency to its normal position in the cash boxcompartment. Since, upon return of the currency stack to its compartmentin the cash box, the currency withdrawal sensing device automaticallyreverts to its deactuated state, it has not been possible, by checkingthe currency withdrawal sensor of the cash boxes of the differenttellers, to determine precisely which teller temporarily removed stackof currency causing the remote alarm.

Accordingly, it has been an objective of this invention to provide, inconjunction with a money clip which upon removal of a currency stacktriggers a remote alarm, a device for producing a visual indication toassist authorized bank personnel in determining which teller temporarilywithdrew a currency stack from its cash box compartment triggering theremote alarm. This objective has been accomplished in accordance withcertain principles of the invention by providing, in combination with amoney clip of the type wherein removal of the bottom bill of a stackfrom a slotted receptacle triggers a remote alarm, the improvementcomprising a ferromagnetic telltale, preferably a leaf spring, locatedwithin the slotted receptacle which is biased to normally positionitself in a lower position underneath the bottom bill of a stackinserted in the receptacle slot, but which telltale can be lifted byauthorized personnel to an upper position with a magnet when the deviceis initially set such that it overlies the inserted currency. Uponwithdrawal of the bottom bill of the stack is thereafter reinserted bythe teller in an effort to avoid detection of the temporary withdrawalthe leaf spring underlies the bill, By providing a viewing window in theslotted receptacle in alignment with the telltale, personnel can inspectthe location of the telltale with respect to the inserted currency and,depending upon whether the telltale is above the inserted currency orbelow it, determine whether or not the currency was temporarilywithdrawn triggering the alarm and thereafter reinserted to avoiddetection. If the telltale is obscured from view by the insertedcurrency overlying it, which is the case when the currency has beenwithdrawn and thereafter reinserted without the assistance of themagnet, authorized bank personnel inspecting the telltale have a clearvisual indication that currency was withdrawn triggering the remotealarm and thereafter reinserted by the teller to avoid discovery.

The advantages and features of the invention will become more readilyapparent from a detailed description thereof taken in conjunction withthe drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, in cross-section, of the documentremoval detector of the invention shown in connection with its use in acash box compartment to detect removal of the bottommost bill of a stackof bills,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the document removal detector,

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the document removaldetector taken along line 3'3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the document removaldetector taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the document removaldetector taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, in cross-section, of a portion of asecond embodiment of the invention, and

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view, in cross-section, of a portion of athird embodiment of the invention.

The document removal detector of this invention can be used in a varietyof environments in which it is desired to detect the removal of adocument, although a preferred application is in connection with a cashbox in which it is desired to detect removal of currency from the cashbox, particularly the bottommost bill of a stack of bills. While theinvention will now be described in connection with use of the documentremoval detector of the invention as applied to detection of the removalof currency from a cash box, it is to be understood that this is onlyillustrative of one application of the invention. I

As shown in FIG. 1, the document removal detector 10 is positionedunderneath a stack of superimposed bills 12 in a bill compartment 14 ofa cash box 16. The cash box 16 typically has a plurality of billcompartments to accomodate bills of different denominations, such as onedollar, five dollar, ten dollar, twenty dollar,

etc. Each of the compartments 14 is generally rectangular in shape andslightly larger than the rectangular bills placed therein. Thecompartment 14 includes a vertical front wall 18, a vertical rear wall20, a vertical right side wall 22 and vertical left side wall 24 (only aportion of the latter of which is shown and a'flat horizontal bottom 26The height of the front, rearand side walls, which defines the depthofthe compartment 14, is selected to accomodate the combined height of astack of bills 12 and the document removal detector of this inventionwhich in use is disposed beneath it.

The document removal detector 10, considered in more detail inconnection with FIGS. 1-5, includes a base 30 and a cover 32, bothpreferably made of molded plastic. The base 30, as viewed from the top,is generally rectangular and has'an upper surface 34 for supporting thelowermost bill'36 of the stack 12. The bill-supporting surface 34 isplanar except for two recesses 35a and 35b providedin a portion of theleft and right sides which are designed to accomodate the fingers of abank employee for the purpose of convenience in removing the entirestack of bills 12, including the lowermost bill 36, from the compartment14. The bill-supporting surface 34 is provided with an elongated slot oraperture 37 through which extends in an upwardly direction a movable arm38 of a microswitch 39 mounted to the base 30 below the bill supportingsurface 34. The microswitch arm 38, in a manner to be describedhereafter, detects removal of the bottommost bill 36 of the stack 12providing an electrical signal to an alarm (not shown) upon removal ofthe bottom bill 36. The alarm provides an audible and/or visualindication that the bottom bill has been removed in a manner well knownin the art and hence not further described herein. Also included in thebill support surface 34 is an elongated recess 40 which, in a manneralso to be described, accomodates a telltale element 41 when the latteris in its lower position shown in FIGS. 3-5. Completing the base 30 arefront and rear vertical walls'42 and 43, a vertical right side wall 44,and a vertical left side wall 45 only a portion of which is shown. Thewalls 42, 43, 44, and 45, along with the bill-supporting surface 34 andthe compartment bottom 26, collectively define a cavity 48 which, amongother things, accomodates the body of the microswitch 39. Alsopositioned in the cavity 48 are tubular spacers 50 and 51 which spacethe bill-supporting surface 34 from compartment bottom 26 as well asaccomodate fasteners 52 and 53 which are used to secure the base 30 tothe compartment bottom. I

The cover 32 which, like the'base 30, may be fabricated of moldedplastic, includes a bottom surface 55, a top surface 56 and right andleft side walls 57 and 58. The bottom surface 55, unlike the top surface34 of the base 30, is not substantially continuous due to the moldednature of the cover which provides a number of recesses, such as blindrecess 60, therein. The cover 32 is secured to the base 30 by fastener59 in a manner such that the bottom surface 55 of the cover is spacedslightly above the bill supporting surface 34 of the base to define aslot 62 between which currency, such as to bottommost bill 36 of thestack 12, can be inserted. The bottom surface 55 of the cover 32, whichrestrains upward movement of a bill 36 inserted in slot 62, is providedwith an elongated recess 61 which, in a manner to be described,accomodates the telltale element 41 when it is moved from its lowerposition (shown in FIG.

5) to its upper position (not shown in FIG. 5). The cover 32 alsoincludes a window 63, preferably in the form of an aperture which passesentirely through the cover fromthe top 56 to the bottom surface 55. Thewindow 63, for reasons to be described, permits the position of thetelltale element 41 relative to the bottom bill 56 to be visuallyobserved, as well as permits a magnet 64 to be placed in magneticallyattractive relation to the telltale element 41 to raise it from itsnormal lower position shown in FIG. 5 to its raised upper position.

The recess 60 in the bottom surface 55 of the cover 32 accomodates theuppermost portion 38a of the microswitch actuating arm 38 in the absenceof a bill 36 in the slot 62. Thus, in the absence of a bill 36 in slot62, the microswitch arm 38 spans the entire slot 62 from bill-supportingsurface 34 to bill restraining surface 55. Of course, upon insertion ofa bill 36 in the slot 62 the leading edge of the bill engages the arm 38pivoting it downwardly below the cover bottom surface 55 to deactuatethe microswitch 39 and terminate the alarm. Upon removal of the bottombill 36 from the slot 62 the microswitch actuating arm 38, which isbiased upwardly by a spring (not shown), returns to its upper positionwith extremity 38a thereof in cover recess 60, actuating the microswitchand triggering the alarm to thereby provide an indication that thebottom bill 36 of the stack 12 has been removed. Since the cover 32 ispreferably fabricated of opaque material, and further since the recess60 which accomodates the upper extremity 38a of the microswitch arm 38upon removal of a bill 36 from the slot 62 is blind, i.e., does notextend entirely through the cover 32, the presence'of the microswitch 39and its actuating arm 38 is entirely obscured from view. i

The telltale element 41 preferably is in the form of an elongated stripof ferromagnetic material, such as a leaf of spring steel, and includesatelltale section 41a which is visible through the window 63 in thecover 32 when a bill is either absent from the slot 62 or positioned inthe slot 62 below the telltale section 41a, and a mounting section 4117.The mounting section 41b is sandwiched between mounting surfaces 32a and30a of the cover 32 and base 30. Mounting surfaces 30a and 32a arepreferably angulated downwardly and rightwardly as viewed in FIG. 3 atan angle of approximately 2 for the purpose of insuring that the forwardedge 41c of the telltale section 41a will be positioned in the recess 40below the bill supporting surface 34 of the base 30. With edge 41c sopositioned, when a bill 36 is inserted into slot 62 withoutsimultaneously using the magnet 64 to raise the telltale section 41a toits upper position cover in recess 61, the inserted bill will positionitself above the telltale section 41a. Of course, when a bill 36 isinserted in the slot 62 and the magnet 64 is in the aperture 63magnetically attracting the telltale element 41a to its upper positionin cover recess 61, the inserted bill will locate beneath the telltalesection 41a.

In operation, the microswitch 39 with its pivotal actuating arm 38biased into blind cover cavity 60 above the cover surface 55 functions.to detect removal of the bottom bill 36 from slot 62 and in responsethereto provide an alarm, the bottom bill 36 typically being removedalong with the stack of bills 12 during a holdup or burglary of the bankor the like where the cash box 16 is located. Whereas, the telltale 41ain combination with the viewing window 63 functions to provide a visualindication to banking personnel when the bottom bill 36 of the stack 12has been removed from, and thereafter reinserted into, the slot 62. I

For example, a bank teller may inadvertently remove the stack 12,including the bottom bill 36, from the cash box compartment 14 in whichevent the microswitch arm 38 would pivot upwardly into recess 60 toactuate the microswitch 39 and in turn trigger an alarm. The teller, toavoid discovery of the fact that he accidentally triggered the alarm,may immediately return the stack of bills 12 to the cash box compartment14 and, in an effort to avoid discovery that it was he who triggered thealarm, will return the bottom bill 36 to its normal position in the slot62. The telltalesection 41a in combination with the window 63 permitsbank personnel to visually inspect the position of the telltale section41a relative to the inserted bottom bill 36. Since the bank teller whoremoved the bottom bill 36 and promptly returned it to the slot 62 toavoiddiscovery did not, in returning the bottom bill 36 to the slot, usethe magnet 64 to attract the telltale 41a to its upper position inrecess 61, the reinserted bill 36 will be positioned above the telltalesection 41d As a consequence, bank personnel attempting to view thetelltale 41a through the inspection window 63 will find that thetelltale 41a is obscured by the bottom bill 36 which is positioned abovethe telltale section 41a and will know that it was removal of thisparticular stack 12, including bottom bill 36, that triggered the alarm.

Authorized bank personnel will be provided with the magnet 64 and as aconsequence when the document removal device is initially set up thebottom bill 36 when inserted in the slot 62 .will be positioned belowthe telltale 41a since at the time of initial bill insertion the magnet64 will be inserted in the aperture 63 to magnetically attract thetelltale 41a to its upper position in recess 61 wherein the forward edge41c of the telltale is positioned above the bottom surface 55 of thecover 32. With the forward edge 41c of the telltale 41a so positioned,when the bottom bill 36 is inserted the bill will lie underneath thetelltale 41a. When the magnet 64 is now removed from the aperture 63visual inspection of the telltale section 41s through the window 63 willreveal that the telltale section 41a is visible since it lies above theinserted bill 36 and is not obscured by it. Thus, in initially settingup the document removal detector 10 of this invention, authorized bankpersonnel will use magnet 64 to raise the telltale 41a to its upperposition in cover recess 61 while inserting the bottom bill 36 of thestack 12 so that the inserted bill will be below telltale section 41a.When the bottom bill 36 is thereafter removed from slot 62 by the bankteller, producing an alarm, the telltale 41a returns to its lowerposition in base recess 40 and when the bill 36 is thereafter reinsertedin slot 62 by the bank teller to avoid discovery the bill positionsitself above the telltale 41a obscuring it from view through the window63. When authorized bank personnel now remove the stack 12, except forthe bottom bill 36, and inspect through the window 63 thetelltale 41a isseen to be obscured by theinserted bottom bill 36 and it is apparentthat it is the teller using this particular cash box compartment whichhas removed the bottom bill, causing the alarm, and reinserted it in aneffort to avoid discovery.

The-size of the telltale element 41a in the region of the magnetinsertion aperture 63 is selected to be larger than the cross-sectionalarea of the magnet insertion opening. This reduces the likelihood that abank teller, by inserting his finger, pencil, nail file, screw driver orthe'like, in the magnet insertion opening 63, could engage the edge ofthe telltale section 41a and lift it upwardly while inserting the bottombill 36 in the slot 62 and thereby effectively defeat the currencyreinsertion detection feature of the invention. Additionally, the sizeof cover 32 relative to telltale section 41a and the height of slot 62are selected to make the telltale section 41a generally inaccessible tobank personnel who might, by inserting their fingers or otherinstrumentability in slot 62, attempt to elevate the telltale section41a to its upper position when reinserting a bill in slot 62 in aneffort to defeat the currency reinsertion detection feature of theinvention.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5 themagnet 64 is inserted in an aperture 63in the cover 32, to raisetelltale section 41a to its upper position. Aperture 63, which passesentirely through the cover 32, also functions as a window for viewingthe position of the telltale 41a. If a sufficiently strong magnet 64 isavailable, the window 63', as shown in FIG. 6, may be a blind hole, thatis, a hole which does not pass entirely through the cover 32 therebypreventing tampering with the telltale section 41a with a nail file,pencil, etc. in an attempt to compromise the device. Of course, in suchan arrangement the cover material 63" at the bottom of the aperture 63would be made of transparent material to permit inspection of theposition of the underlying telltale section 41a.

Alternatively, and as shown in FIG. 7, the viewing window 63" and themagnet insertion aperture 63"" could be separate and distinct.The'viewing' window 63" could, for example, take the form of atransparent insert in the cover 32" overlying the telltale 41a", whilethe magnet insertion aperture 63"" could take the form of a through holein the cover 32".

I claim: V g

l. A currency removal and reinsertion detector comprising:

a base having a currency supporting surface,

a cover overlying said base and having a currency restraining surface,said cover being fixedly secured relative to said base with saidcurrency restraining and currency supporting surfaces in closely spacedconfronting relation establishing a currency receiving slot into whichcurrency can be inserted for placement between said surfaces,

a ferromagnetic element having a mounting section and a telltalesection, said mounting section being mounted relative to said base andcover to position said telltale section inaccessibly within said slotfor movement therein alternatively between upper and lower positionsoverlying and underlying, respectively, currency inserted in said slot,

said cover being provided with a viewing window therein overlying saidtelltale section to permit visual inspection of the position, upper orlower, of said telltale section relative to currency inserted in saidslot, and

a magnet for moving said telltale section to its upper position topermit currency inserted in said slot to underlie said telltale section,said telltale section returning to its lower position upon removal fromsaid slot of currency initially underlying said telltale, wherebyreinsertion of said currency ini- -tially underlying said telltalewithout concurrent attraction thereof by said magnet will place saidreinserted currency overlying said telltale section and obscure it fromview through said window, thereby providing a visual indication thatcurrency initially inserted in said slot concurrent with magneticattraction of said telltale section has been removed and reinserted.

2. The detector of claim 1 wherein said currency supporting surfaceincludes a recess, said telltale section is a leaf spring normallybiased into said recess by said mounting section to underlie currencywhich is inserted in said slot in the absence of magnetic attraction ofsaid telltale section.

3. The detector of claim 1 wherein said cover includes an aperturealigned with said telltale section and wherein said magnet is insertableinto said aperture to magnetically attractsaid element.

4. The detector of claim 1 wherein said window is a single aperture insaid cover serving the dual purpose of a) permitting visual inspectionof said telltale position and b) insertion of said magnet therein formagnetically attracting said telltale section to its upper position.

5. The detector of claim 4 wherein said element underlies at least theentire cross-sectional area of said aperture.

6. The detector of claim Lfurther including:

a blind recess in said confronting surface of said cover incommunication with said slot,

an alarm, I

a microswitch electrically connected to said alarm and having aswitch-actuating arm biased to span said slot established by saidconfronting surfaces with a portion thereof extending into said blindrecess in the absence of currency in said slot, said arm portion beingmovable into said recess to actu- I ate said microswitch and triggersaid alarm upon removal of currency from said slot, and

said cover being opaque and said blind recess in nonalignment with saidwindow to preclude viewing said microswitch arm exteriorly of saidcover.

7. A method of detecting removal and reinsertion of currency in a slotestablished by closely spaced confronting surfaces of a base and cover,comprising the steps of:

a magnetically attracting and thereby moving a ferromagnetic elementlocated in the slot which is biased toward the confronting surface ofthe base, to a position spaced from the surface of the base,

initially inserting currency in the slot between the base surface andthe ferromagnetic element while the element is spaced from the basesurface by magnetic attraction thereof,

removing the inserted currency from between the element and basesurface,

reinserting currency in the slot between the ferromagnetic element andthe confronting surface of the cover in the absence of magneticattraction of the element to a position spaced from the confrontingsurface of the base, and

viewing the position of the ferromagneticelernent relative to theinserted currency through a window in the cover aligned with theelement.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said magnetic attraction step includesinserting a magnet into an aperture in the cover aligned with theelement to magnetically attract the element, wherein said initialcurrency insertion step includes inserting currency into the slot whilethe magnet is in the aperture magnetically attracting the element, andwherein said currency reinsertion step includes reinserting currencyinto the slot with the magnet removed from the cover aperture' 9. Themethod of claim 7 wherein the magnetic attraction step includesinserting a magnet into the viewing window to magnetically attract theelement, wherein said initial currency insertion step includes insertingcurrency into the' slot while the "magnet is in the window magneticallyattracting the element, and wherein said currency reinsertion stepincludes reinsertin'g currency into the slot with the magnet removedfrom the viewing window.

1. A currency removal and reinsertion detector comprising: a base havinga currency supporting surface, a cover overlying said base and having acurrency restraining surface, said cover being fixedly secured relativeto said base with said currency restraining and currency supportingsurfaces in closely spaced confronting relation establishing a currencyreceiving slot into which currency can be inserted for placement betweensaid surfaces, a ferromagnetic element having a mounting section and atelltale section, said mounting section being mounted relative to saidbase and cover to position said telltale section inaccessibly withinsaid slot for movement therein alternatively between upper and lowerpositions overlying and underlying, respectively, currency inserted insaid slot, said cover being provided with a viewing window thereinoverlying said telltale section to permit visual inspection of theposition, upper or lower, of said telltale section relative to currencyinserted in said slot, and a magnet for moving said telltale section toits upper position to permit currency inserted in said slot to underliesaid telltale section, said telltale section returning to its lowerposition upon removal from said slot of currency initially underlyingsaid telltale, whereby reinsertion of said currency initially underlyingsaid telltale without concurrent attraction thereof by said magnet willplace said reinserted currency overlying said telltale section andobscure it from view through said window, thereby providing a visualindication that currency initially inserted in said slot concurrent withmagnetic attraction of said telltale section has been removed andreinserted.
 2. The detector of claim 1 wherein said currency supportingsurface includes a recess, said telltale section is a leaf springnormally biased into said recess by said mounting section to underliecurrency which is inserted in said slot in the absence of magneticattraction of said telltale section.
 3. The detector of claim 1 whereinsaid cover includes an aperture aligned with said telltale section andwherein said magnet is insertable into said aperture to magneticallyattract said element.
 4. The detector of claim 1 wherein said window isa single aperture in said cover serving the dual purpose of a)permitting visual inspection of said telltale position and b) insertionof said magnet therein for magnetically attracting said telltale sectionto its upper position.
 5. The detector of claim 4 wherein said elementunderlies at least the entire cross-sectional area of said aperture. 6.The detector of claim 1 further including: a blind recess in saidconfronting surface of said cover in communication with said slot, analarm, a microswitch electrically connected to said alarm and having aswitch-actuating arm biased to span said slot established by saidconfronting surfaces with a portion thereof extending into said blindrecess in the absence of currency in said slot, said arm portion beingmovable into said recess to actuate said microswitch and trigger saidalarm upon removal of currency from said slot, and said cover beingopaque and said blind recess in nonalignment with said window topreclude viewing said microswitch arm exteriorly of said cover.
 7. Amethod of detecting removal and reinsertion of currency in a slotestablished by closely spaced confronting surfaces of a base and cover,comprising the steps of: a magnetically attracting and thereby moving aferromagnetic element located in the slot which is biased toward theconfronting surface of the base, to a position spaced from the surfaceof the base, initially inserting currency in the slot between the basesurface and the ferromagnetic element while the element is spaced fromthe base surface by magnetic attraction thereof, removing the insertedcurrency from between the element and base surface, reinserting currencyin the slot between the ferromagnetic element and the confrontingsurface of the cover in the absence of magnetic attraction of theelement to a position spaced from the confronting surface of the base,and viewing the position of the ferromagnetic element relative to theinserted currency through a window in the cover aligned with theelement.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said magnetic attraction stepincludes inserting a magnet into an aperture in the cover aligned withthe element to magnetically attract the element, wherein said initialcurrency insertion step includes inserting currency into the slot whilethe magnet is in the aperture magnetically attracting the element, andwherein said currency reinsertion step includes reinserting currencyinto the slot with the magnet removed from the cover aperture.
 9. Themethod of claim 7 wherein the magnetic attraction step includesinserting a magnet into the viewing window to magnetically attract theelement, wherein said initial currency insertion step includes insertingcurrency into the slot while the magnet is in the window magneticallyattracting the element, and wherein said currency reinsertion stepincludes reinserting currency into the slot with the magnet removed fromthe viewing window.